Logging

Bay D' Espoir has an abundance of natural resources. Whether it be from the sea or the land, the people have strived to earn a living from these resources. However, unlike much of Newfoundland, it has been the land more so than the sea, that provided its settlers with a wage. ( The logging industry has had a long and rich history with the area. )

The first group of people to tap into this resource seem to have been Indian groups. There is archaeological evidence that both Beothuck and Micmac Indians frequented the area. A Micmac presence dates back earlier than any European settlement. However, all groups, either Indians or white, started using Bay D' Espoir on a " transient " basic.

This can be seen in Captain James Cook survey. When he visited in 1763 to do a survey, he noted no evidence of settlement in the area. He also noted the rich forest resources of Bay D' Aspire. This caught the interest of the French who got permission to cut timber in the area in 1776. Not much else is known about this early era in Bay D' Espoir's history. Record's are vague, but it is known that logging was starting to become a stable industry.

Almost all early efforts in Bay D' Espoir related to the forestry. An entry in the letter book of the Saunders & Sweetman Company, dated June 4th 1789 states: " Pierce Sweetman, merchant agent, Placentia, ordered Captain Fling to go to Paradise and then to Bay D' Espoir to take in all the pine plank that John Farrell and his crew had cut."

The ever present merchants soon began to take an even larger interest in the forests of Bay D' Espoir. By 1835 crews working for the Newman Company were regular visitors, and they, along with workers from Nicolls & Company, wintered there that year. This practice of wintering in Bay D' Espoir was not uncommon to families from the South Coast, especially those living at the mouth of Hermitage Bay, in the early 19th century.

Bay D' Espoir provided the ideal setting for those winter settlers. It was more sheltered than the exposed coastline and had plenty of resources for winter survival. The winter settlers could hunt for caribou, trap and could produce forest products for barter with merchant crews. Things such as hoops, stoves, shingles and saw logs could be traded for food and fishing supplies.

Permanent settlement of Bay D' Espoir seems to have occurred in the min 1800's. The first appearance of a Bay D' Espoir community in the Newfoundland census takes place in the 1855 report. Ship Cove, now St. Alban's, is stated as having two families. A 1945 census report, states as having nine people, three houses and one Catholic church. It does not mention any community, but probably describing Great Jervais.

Records for 1884 state there were 185 Europeans in Bay D' Espoir and 77 Indians. Material goods included four ships over 30 tons. Records also indicate agriculture was an important part of life for the early settlers.

Interest was sparked in farming by " luxuriant " forest growth. Farming, for almost half a dozen families was the main source of income by the 1870's. This increased to 19 families in 1884. This can be seen in the census for that year regarding agricultural production.

Number of milk cows 70

Number of meat cattle 53

Number of sheep 45

Number of swine 12

Lbs. of butter 2350

Tons of hay 82

Barrels of potatoes 765

Acres of land cleared 71

While farming played a large role, the forests was the main resource. Every family depended on it to some degree. One reason for this was because the forest produced an

" amazing " number of products. Softwoods and hardwoods were used for fuel, with balsam fir, black spruce and white birch being the most common. Hardwoods were also exported for fuel due to their higher value. Other timber products exported included pitsaws logs, boards, house frames, hewn boat frames, shingles, barrels, stoves, hoops and fir bark. Most of these products went to the South Coast and St. Pierre merchants.

By the 1890's many settlers, both new and established, were well entrench in the forestry industry. About 25% of the settlers owned schooners, which were used for the export of wood products, mainly to St. Pierre. Here they traded their goods for cheaper sugar, tobacco and alcohol products. This development signalled the end of the merchant crews visiting the Bay.

Small sawmills were used during this time. However, in 1894 a South Coast merchant established a large mill that employed 18 men in addition to the loggers. This is some times referred to as the birth of Bay D' Espoir's forest industry.